Getting Ready for Your Social Security Disability Hearing – Part VI

Your hearing will be held before an Administrative Law Judge who worked for the Social Security Administration and only your social security cases. There will not be a lawyer for the government there trying to prevent you from getting benefits. There is no jury or spectators at the hearing. Generally, the people in attendance are you, the Judge, your attorney, a vocational expert, and a person that runs the recording equipment. Hearings generally last between 20 minutes to an hour. You will need to discuss with your attorney if you want to use witnesses. Often, witnesses are not necessary and can be harmful to your claim. Witnesses generally have to stay outside the courtroom while you are testifying, and if the witness comes in and states something different about your abilities (even by mistake) this can damage your case more than the witness’s testimony would help.